Why I'm Here
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: To some, Death is the End. To others, Death is a new beginning. Drake Lancer will learn that his death will lead to a new purpose. Armed with a powerful suit, an intelligent AI, and combat skills, he will do what he was meant to: be a Hero, even if it means being stuck with a bunch of idiots.
1. Chapter 1

**Have you ever heard of the saying, 'your life flashes by your eyes when you're about to die?'**

 **Well...some say they have. I've seen my life...and it reminded me of how much my life was so...lacking.**

 **My name's Drake Lancer. I'm just your average 21 year old college student, studying here at the Ohlone College in Fremont, Calefornia. I was a gamer; JRPG's, First Person Shooters, the usual stuff. I was never any good in school either. Failed 6th Grade, and almost didn't past 12th Grade either. Passed by the skin of my teeth. It wasn't because of my intelligence. I was good, but having ADHD, in other words having the attention span of a gnat and being unable to sit still for long, can cause more than a few problems. I was the problem child. I did my best for my folk's sake.**

 **I lost my dad when I was young, and I was the youngest of three children. The baby boy of the family, so to speak. After dad died, we lived with my grandparents and great-grandmother. We had a few ups and downs, and we were tight on money, but things were great. Unfortunately, around the time I started Middle School, my great-grandmother, we called her Granny, developed dementia. Suddenly, I found myself spending time less at home, and more at my friend's place, and doing everything I could to avoid hearing about the woman that sweet old Granny I used to love had become. If you knew someone who had dementia, or know someone who's dealt with someone who had dementia before, then you understand. If not...let's just say it will be a miracle if you keep your sanity.**

 **Anyway, when I graduated, I moved to Fremont, got a part-time job, and went to college. The Ohlone College was awesome. I took Dance classes while studying at San Benito, and the college was well known for the performing arts. Everywhere you looked, you would see kids about to perform a play, dude dancing to the beat of his radio, or someone showing off their dance skills in the middle of the yard. I was in heaven, and the liberty was amazing.**

 **For three years, I enjoyed my life. I got a good girlfriend, kept in touch with my family, had a nice paying job...it seemed like everything was going good.**

 **But just because your life is good doesn't mean it's fulfilling. Have you ever felt like that there was just that...'something' missing from your life? Like there wasn't anything that gave your life anything worthwhile? Something good, something important, something wonderful, that gives you that rush and tells you that this life was just worth living?**

 **I had a good life...but there wasn't anything that ever truly gave it meaning. Not even my sweet, sweet girlfriend, who loved me even though I had my...temper problems.**

 **Unfortunately, I never got to find that special something that could give my life the spark that it needed. Even now, as I was just laying there, under the constant yelling and worried shouts with the gleams of knives and blurring lights above me, I could barely remember. There was a kid in the middle of a street, a car honking, and then...nothing. I don't remember what happened after that.**

 **I knew where I was. An operating table. I couldn't remember why I was there, or why these people were operating on me?**

 **More importantly...**

 **...what was I...**

* * *

 **A Red vs Blue Fanfiction Story  
**

 _Why I'm Here_

* * *

Prologue: Quid Hic Sumus

When Drake woke up, he found himself staring through glass, up at a bedrock ceiling. The only sound to be heard was only the drips of water, smacking against the tall spikes that rose up from the ground, and the eerie silence of the cavern he woke up in. Slowly, he raised himself up, his body hurting from the intense pain in his head. "Christ," he cursed, cradling his head. "The hell happened...?" He paused when he felt only cool metal touching his hand, rather than skin or hair. The pain had dulled his senses, and only now realized that he was wearing a helmet, albeit a weird one. It wasn't like his motorcycle helmet, as the glass covered his entire face, with metal only covering up to the mouth and around the back of his head, thus leaving his face exposed. He looked down at himself, and saw he was wearing a strange suit, almost like armor. "What? When did I..."

He trailed off when he looked at what he was wearing further. His heart suddenly began to beat, and he gently began to probe the helmet. A switch clicked, and it was followed by a hiss. Slowly, he pulled the helmet off of his head, allowing him to now breathe directly. Cold air touched his skin, no doubt because of the cave or wherever he was. He turned the helmet around, and found himself staring back at his reflect. His messy, unkempt hair was dishwater blonde, a mix of brown and blonde that changed colors depending on whether or not it was hot or cold, and his eyes, wonderful azure blue, were a thing of beauty according to his mother. When he was seventeen, he started to develop facial hair, and did his best to trim it. Currently, it was small, only a slight stubble on his chin, while his upper lip was free from any signs of a mustache.

However, Drake recognized the helmet in his hand, as well as the suit. Suffice to say, he was shocked. "The...Pathfinder suit?" Drake said, confused. There was no doubt about it. The suit he was wearing as the suit worn by Alec Ryder from Mass Effect: Andromeda, and could be bought in the game for Ryder to wear. He had to admit, the suit looked good...but why was he wearing it? More importantly, what happened? The last thing he could remember was-

 **"Oh, good, you're finally awake."**

Drake jumped, hearing a synthesized voice ring in his head. It sounded feminine...and VERY familiar. He whipped his around to find the source. Then, a female figure materialized next to him. She was small, and if he was being honest, as naked as the day she was born. However, her form was transparent, as he could see the rock formations past her body as if she was see through. Circuits ran through her body, which glowed a vibrant dull red, in contrast to the rest of her which was vibrant blue. Her hair was short, reaching down a little bit past her chin, and had large eyes, which seemed to shift back and forth between dark blue and red.

Despite the obvious few differences he saw, Drake recognized her easily, and found himself both shocked, terrified, and confused. "Y-you...h-how? What?!"

 **"Whoa, take it easy,"** the female figure said gently, folding her arms. **"I only just got your life support back online. You've been asleep for a long time, Mr. Lancer."**

"As-asleep?" Drake got out, palming his forehead. "W-what...I remember being hit by a truck, then...w-wait, how am I here? How am I not dead?"

The female figure sighed, holding her head in her hand as she shook. **"I figured as much...hold still for a sec,"** she advised. What Drake assumed to be a holograph board popped up next to her, and began to work on it. **"This might tickle a bit."**

"W-wait a second!" he protested. He didn't trust her, much less what he trusted what he was experiencing. He knew what she was, and the fact that he was wearing armor that belonged in a video game pretty much said everything he needed to know. Regardless, he couldn't help but panic a bit when the thing that became genocidal in the fifth installment in one of his favorite games suddenly showed up in front of him. "W-what are you-"

Then his mind blanked out, and information poured into his head.

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

The first thing he noticed was that there was no pain. The second was that he was laying on a smooth warm surface. And the last...was the loud hum of some kind of machinery. Drake cracked his eyes open slowly, blurred vision slowly coming into focus as he looked around his environment. At first he had to blink a few times. He was in what looked like a room made entirely of metal with long beacons of light running through the walls, ceiling and floor. Sitting up, he looked around more closely at the room. The humming sound he had been hearing was coming from all around the room.

"What the hell..." he wondered as he slowly got to his feet. He was still wearing his usual clothes, but his wounds from the truck were completely healed. With his mind weighed down with confusion, Drake ran a hand over his messy hair as his eyes locked on a door...or what looked like a door. Checking his pockets for the pocket knife he kept on him, in case he ran into the wrong crowd, he found only empty space in his pants. "Dammit." he muttered as he treed slowly to the door.

The section of wall seemed to sense his approach and split apart on it's own, sliding into the rest of the wall to reveal a long hallway beyond. Stepping out cautiously, Drake saw strange machinery lining the walls of the corridor. Some blinking with light. Others went up and down on their own as though some invisible force was lifting them. _"Why does all of this seem familiar?"_ he thought to himself as he slowly began to walk down the hall. The humming of the machinery blocking the sounds of his footsteps.

He stopped a moment to look at a machine that had a large glowing blue crystal inside of it. "What is this place?" he asked outloud.

 **"All will be answered soon young one."**

Drake whipped around hearing the faint voice that seemed to echo through the long hallway and his mind at the same time. "What?..." he looked left and right but didn't see anyone. **"This way. And all will be explained."** the voice echoed again, this time seeming to come from the end of the long corridor. He felt hesitant for a few moments before his feet started to lead him toward where the voice was coming from. His mind in a slight fog as he walked all the way to the end where a second door slid apart. The room beyond was twice the size of the one he woke up in, but the center was divided by a large crevice that lead downward into pitch darkness.

Looking around, Drake saw a palm sized device hovering in the air at the edge of the drop. A glowing green button in the center of the device seemed to call to him. Reaching out, the soldier pressed the button. The device closed up before vanishing in a burst of light. When it faded, a bridge made of pure light connected the two sides of the room over the dark abyss below. Shocked, Alex looked down before looking at the bridge. "Oooookay...this is starting to get really familiar." he muttered as he leaned out with his right foot and pressed experimentally down onto the light-bridge.

His sneakers met a solid surface. Pressing a little harder, he moved his other foot out onto the bridge just to be sure. Sure that the thing wasn't going to drop him into the darkness below, the college student made his way across to another door. When he stood in front of it, it parted letting blinding light into the room making Alex cover his eyes. When the light faded a little, Drake looked up and felt his breath hitch.

The doorway lead to a large balcony that overlooked a massive expanse of open air. Crystal clear blue skies and white clouds were everywhere, but the thing that really got his attention where the large buildings that floated in the air beyond. Each structure had several parts that shifted on their own accord giving the hint that the buildings themselves were alive in some way.

"...I'm dead...there isn't any other explanation...I died and this is where I'm gonna be for eternity." Drake said in complete awe.

 **"You have died young one, but you are not completely gone from the land of the living."** Drake 's focus snapped to a bright light coming from the clouds above. When the light reached the edge of the balcony it faded to reveal a being the likes of which he had never seen before.

The being was clearly female. She stood at 7 feet easy wearing an elegant blue and white dress with an odd crown on her head. The only thing that made her really different despite her height was her nose which looked more serpent-like, and her eyes which seemed to glow as she gazed at the shocked college student.

She smiled at him, **"Where one journey has ended, another has revealed itself to you, Drake Lancer."**

That had snapped him out of his light trans. "How do you know my name? Who are you? And where the hell are we?" he asked not taking his eyes off the woman.

 **"I am a being that has seen many things, in this universe and several others. I go by many names, but the one you should be familiar with, is The Librarian."** said the being.

Drake's brain came to a halt. He did know that name, heard it before, but believing it was something else entirely. "W-What? T-The Librarian? How is this possible?" he stuttered out while stumbling back a step. How could it be possible. An all knowing entity that only existed in a video game was before him, speaking to him. Alex was questioning his sanity, if any of this was even real or some kind of limbo that exists between life and death.

The Librarian raised her hands gently sensing his distress, **"Calm yourself child. I assure you that this is no illusion. I truly exist, as does many other things you are not aware of."**

Once he got his breathing under control, he looked at the Forerunner in understanding. "So I really did die." The Librarian nodded sadly, **"I'm afraid so young one. But it was to be, just like the path that now opens itself to you."**

Drake tilted his head confused, "You've mentioned that twice now. What are you talking about?"

 **"You are a part of something far greater than anything ever asked of any being in this universe or any other. A destiny that has been mapped out since before you were born."** said The Librarian.

"Destiny? What kind of destiny?" asked Drake. The Librarian waved her hand motioning to the sky behind her. **"Your universe is only one of millions. Each one very different than the last. That which you think is mere fiction in your world, is very much real in another. Which is why I am before you now."**

She looked back down at the young student, **"After my time in my universe, I have been watching several others for specific signs. Signs that proved my belief."**

Drake mulled over her words when he remembered what she had said to the Master Chief in the fourth game, "You mean watching Humanity. You believed that we could inherit the mantle of responsibility that you and the other Forerunners left behind."

The Librarian smiled, **"Indeed. You truly do have knowledge of the universe I came from. And it is that knowledge and experience that will prove invaluable for what lies ahead."**

"What is that exactly? And what has all of this have to do with me? I'm no one special. Just a soldier who gave his life." said Drake. **"That is where you are wrong, Alexander. This has everything to do with you."** said The Librarian. **"You already know that when the Halo Rings fired, and I ensured that when Humanity was repopulated that specific seeds were left behind to ensure that they would be ready for what was to come."**

Drake nodded, "Yes. You told the Chief that he was the culmination of thousands of lifetimes of planning."

 **"Precisely. However, his ultimate creation wasn't the only one I took great interest in. There were two others. Each from different universes, each with a destiny that would greatly change the course of many worlds."**

Soaking in the information. Drake began to understand what The Librarian was telling him. It wasn't just the Halo universe that she had made sure was ready for what would happen, she had a hand in two others. But what did that have to do...with...him...

His eyes widened with revelation. "...No...you mean...one of those people..." The Librarian nodded slowly. **"You now see the truth, Drake. Much like the Spartan, I saw something in the Humanity from your universe. I planted the seeds, and ensured that everything was ready when the time was right."**

Drake felt anger well up within him, "You mean to tell me, that my whole life has been lead to this point? That everything was 'planned' to happen?"

 **"Your anger is misplaced. I merely prepared you on a genetic level. The events taken place in your life were the result of your own choices and the choices of others."** explained The Librarian calmly. **"The so called 'games' in your universe were also my doing. I simply made sure that the ideas for such simulations were with the right people at the proper time."**

Taking a deep breath, Drake calmed down, "Alright, you say my 'creation' was planned. But for what purpose exactly? My world wasn't facing anything nearly as destructive as your universe was, as far as I knew."

 **"That may be so. But your universe is not in danger, unlike the other two. That is your purpose. To assist in the security of one of those universes, and to ensure the survival of those who face destruction."** said The Librarian.

"And how do I do that exactly? I have no knowledge of the universes that you have been talking about." said Drake crossing his arms. The Librarian smiled as she began to hover closer to the young man. **"On the contrary, young one. You know this universe a lot more than you know."**

She reached out and rested a six fingered hand on his head. His mind was suddenly bombarded with images, sights that were familiar, yet strange to him. Images that involved soldiers in colored armor.

 **"In order for you to be ready to face the tasks ahead, you must acquire the tools to assist you. I will help you acquire those tools, Drake"** said the Librarian as darkness began to creep up around his vision. Through the darkness, he could hear the Librarian speaking again. **"I have given you the first stepping stone in your journey young one. The rest is up to you, but be warned. Your mind, your body, your heart, and your skills as a warrior will be tested in more ways than you can fathom. You must overcome, thrive, and fight for what you believe. Or...all will be lost."**

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

A second later, Drake regained consciousness. He stumbled a bit on his feet, surprised that he had been still standing. "I...I remember now," he said, massaging his head after the headache he received. "I met the Librarian, and I...ended up here." He looked at the female figure, who stared back at him with a hand on her hip. "I think I can figure out why I'm wearing Pathfinder Armor, but...why are you here? Last I checked, aren't you...you know...a...?"

 **"Homocidal artificial intelligence that went nuts after it was brought back?"** Cortana offered, smiling mischievously. **"A crazy ghost lady that suddenly realized how fucked up the world was? Or maybe a small body of digital data that undergone rampancy, went through phases that would make even a girl on her period look normal, and tried to destroy the human race and everything else?"**

"So...you know that you're a..."

Cortana shrugged. **"To be honest, I don't remember much,"** she confessed. **"I just remember that the Librarian brought me back, and uploaded me into you. I don't really remember much what happened...you know, it's a weird sensation. Finding out that your life was apart of a giant video game from another universe."**

"How do you think I feel?" Drake asked. "I mean, some omnipotent entity just asked a kid from college to save the multiverse, or something along those lines. And now I'm talking to a character from a video game. I think I can say that this is most definitely the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me." He then looked back at his current attire. "So...anything I should know before I, you know, check out what the hell kind of place I'm in now?"

 **"Well, let's just say I'm not in your suit of armor,"** Cortana told him. **"We're linked on a more deeper level. I suppose it's more accurate to say that we're bound on the neural level. In other words, I'm stuck inside your head."** Drake stared at her, now suddenly fearing for his sanity. **"Okay, first of all, I'm not like how I was back when I was nuts, okay? I'm better! ...for the most part. Secondly, it's not as bad as it sounds. It just means you can operate more efficiently. Not only that, but your body isn't exactly normal."**

Drake was a bit terrified after hearing that. He had more or less just been told that he had Cortana of all people stuck inside his head, and now he found out that his body had changed. He remembered what the Librarian told him before he vanished to this place, that he was already...different, for a lack of better words. Well...he supposed he could accept the better of two evils. "So...what's different about me?"

The way Cortana smiled at him did not comfort him in the slightest. **"Let me show you. Loading [Biotic Profile]."**

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

After the chaos, Drake was both ecstatic and somewhat confused. Apparently, he was now, quite literally, armed with the same capabilities as the Ryder family, only instead of SAM, he was bonded to Cortana. The idea scared him a bit, remembering how she was in the events of Halo 5, but she had eased him by explaining that things had, more or less, changed. She remembered the events of Halo 5, but everything between then and now was a blur. Apparently, her memories from that time were corrupted, so she couldn't access them, but that it could change later on. For the time being, he would have to deal, and hope nothing bad happened.

After about an hour of walking through the vast cave systems, Drake had finally found an escape route. "About time," he muttered as he slowly made his way up, climbing up the rocks as carefully as possible, a large hole with light flooding out of it not far above him. "Was worried I'd be stuck down here." After he made some way, he braced his body. His companion AI had informed him how to run the suit's normal functions, such as the Omni-Blade and the Booster Pack, while she handled some of the more advanced functions. He leaped off of his holding of the rock, and let the thrusters boost him up. He nearly screamed, feeling his body being rushed at uncomfortable speeds before he was right at the entrance. The thrusters ceased, letting him hang in the air long enough to grab hold of the walls. He gave a slight pant, so unused to this before he pulled himself up, and into the hole. "Fucking hell...need to get used to that."

 **"You're not exactly physically made to be a soldier, are you?"** Cortana asked out of curiosity. **"Most men I've seen are used to this sort of stuff. Granted, few of them haven't used a jet pack before, but your adrenaline levels are really not where they should be."**

Drake gave an awkward chuckle. He always wondered how it must have felt to have an AI stuck in your head, and now he knew how the Ryder family must have had, now having an AI in his own head. It was still weird, since she was from a video game and all. "Well, I've done parkour, mountain climbing, and martial arts, but not enough of any of that to actually enlist," he replied. "Never actually thought about joining, either. My grandfather kept pushing and arguing about it, but didn't really see the appeal. I don't know about you, but I prefer not being shot at."

 **"Shame you got chosen for this, then."**

"You're telling me," he sighed before he looked at his surroundings. It looked like he was in a cavern, or at least a tunnel system right outside whatever was out there. It was probably inside a mountain, or a cliff. "So...any idea where we are?

 **"Hold on. Scanning..."**

While he waited, Drake moved forward. He eventually came upon another opening, this one showing a view of his location. He stepped forward out to the edge, and found himself shocked. "...you gotta be shittin' me."

Before him, spread out in its glory, was a box canyon, widely spaced out and several times larger than a football field. Small patches of greenery spread out, with rocky mountain formations enclosing the space, and only a few small openings within the mountains. At either side of the canyon was a metal construct, obviously military bases. To base at the left had blue circuits and a banner hanging out, a tank parked out beside it. The base on the right, however, had red circuits and a red banner, with a familiar jeep parked not too far away from it.

The scene was familiar to him...as it should have been. It was, after all, the Coagulation/Bloodline Map from a certain game. A game Cortana was apart of.

 **"According to the info the Librarian provided,"** Cortana said after a few seconds of silence. **"This place is called Blood Gulch. It's one of the simulation camps used by the UNSC. Although, according to this, it's been listed as offline for a while."**

Drake caught the words 'UNSC' in her report, and his thoughts were confirmed. He simply stared out before he opened his mouth to speak again.

"...son of a bitch."

* * *

So...this was something of an unexpected project of mine. I didn't expect to write this, but after reading DemonFireX's Crysis Effect, and taking inspiration from it, I got this started. If any fans from my Red vs Blue x RWBY crossover "Metastability" are here, you might enjoy this one.

Since RvB was considered to be LOOSELY connected to Halo, as it is set in the same universe but in the far future, it seemed appropriate to write a fanfic. Actually, to tell you the trut, I'm still kind of confused. Would this count as a crossover? Not sure.

Anyway, this is my first true Red vs Blue fanfic, so please be honest. Tell me what you think! Later losers, and I'll see you next chapter!

P.S, review honestly, or I will sic an angry Caboose and Texas on your ass!


	2. Chapter 2

Huh...good reception so far. Sure, the idea might not attract some people, but hey, this is one idea that's been in my mind for a while. Been meaning to get to it, even though this makes me closer to 70 or 80 stories. *sigh* Howard, you need to stop writing so many damn stories! Especially since you haven't finished any of 'em yet!

Well, anyway...regarding the story, I've decided to make this a crossover fic...except not between Halo and Red vs Blue. Nope, this will be between Mass Effect and Red vs Blue. My reasoning is that, well, after some thinking, Halo and RvB are, while apart of two different groups, set in the same universe. When you think about it, Red vs Blue is really just fanfiction that became animated. That said, still an awesome series with memorable characters.

Also, Mass Effect elements will be present in the story, hence why this will be a crossover between ME and RvB.

...now that I think about it, haven't seen any good ME and RvB crossovers. Hell, not sure if there are any. Eh, have to look later.

Back on topic, someone PMed me, asking about Drake Lancer. I made it clear that he's a college student, so he virtually has no military or combat experience. In fact, the closest he has to combat experience is really Mountain Climbing, Martial Arts, and Parkour. If I were to make a comparison...he's gonna be like Ryder from ME: Andromeda. Despite the obvious problems with that fourth game, Bioware knew what they were doing with Ryder. Unexperienced, coming of age, becoming a hero...that's why I gave Drake the same abilities as Ryder from Andromeda, with Cortana replacing SAM, and even decked out with the N7 Pathfinder suit.

With that out of the way...when the third chapter is posted, this will be officially listed as a ME x RvB crossover.

Well, here's the second chapter. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **A Red vs Blue Fanfiction Story  
**

 _Why I'm Here_

* * *

Chapter 1: Est Vitae Mysterio

"You've gotta be shittin' me," Drake said, pacing around while trying to make sense of the situation. "The Librarian threw me to the Halo universe?! Okay, sure, it makes sense since I've got Cortana with me, and stuck inside my fucking brain no less-" He paused, then turned to the AI in question. "-no offense."

Cortana shrugged. **"None taken."**

"-but did you have to send me here?!" With a nod, he continued his rant. "Come on, Librarian! Why'd you pick me of all people?! I mean, I'm grateful you saved my ass, but come on here! I'm a college student, not a military soldier! Hell, I'm not even close! I dance for a living! Dance! I know nothing about military operations except for the ones I've played in games! So WHY did you send me to Halo?! The one place where I just might end up becoming Covenant target practice, Flood appetizers, or worse?! The Didact's personal punching bag?! I don't even know how to shoot a gun! I know nothing about what I'm supposed to do! Period! SO WHY?!"

At the end, he was left panting. His helmet was slightly foggy, his skin laced somewhat with sweat, and his shoulders trembling a little. He felt exhausted, somewhat physically and emotionally. Cortana simply stared at him, her arms folded over her chest with her head cocked, as if interested in his little rant, before she spoke up. **"...you done?"**

A pause.

"...yeah, just about," he said, catching his breath. He straightened out his back, and shook off the slight fatigue. "But I am serious. Why me? Why not someone else, Cortana? I'm just a normal kid who likes to play video games! I was never the honor student, or the good kid. I was...average. I took martial arts just to pass the time, parkour and mountain climbing for the cheap thrills, and dance for my own enjoyment. Games was a passion of mine." He sighed, leaning against a nearby wall. "I'm just...tired is all. The Librarian is asking a kid who knows nothing to do a hero's job. Why not ask a soldier to do this?"

 **"Maybe because you can do something that no one else can?"** Cortana offered. **"Not all people are outstanding, you know. Some heroes didn't even start out like that. They were ordinary guys."**

Drake stared at the AI. She had a point. Most characters, be them from fiction or real life, didn't start out like heroes. Some figures in history started out like normal people. People like him. Average Joe's, going about their lives, until something calls out to them, something that sets them apart from the others. In his case...protecting a kid from being hit by a truck, and then being sent to a universe full of danger. _'Drew one hell of a short stick,'_ he wondered before removing himself from the wall, and looking at the box canyon. "Okay, so...this place is listed as being offline by the UNSC?"

 **"Yep...at least officially,"** she said. **"In reality, Blood Gulch is now owned by Project Freelancer, a private organization headed by Director Leonard Church. Project Freelancer's members compose of soldiers who receive augmentations and implants, though not to the same extent to where they could be considered 'SPARTAN' soldiers. According to what the Librarian left for us, there are several facilities owned by Project Freelancer that are used as simulation sites, which present various scenarios that an agent might face."**

"In other words, testing grounds," Drake said, nodding in understanding. Then he realized something. He had never heard of Project Freelancer before. "Out of curiosity...at what point in time are we? Sometime after Halo 5 or something?"

He received a chuckle. **"Let's just say...if anyone even remembers me, here, it'll be funny to see how they react."**

"That your way of saying we're in the distant future or something?"

 **"Something like that, yeah."**

He shook his head. "Okay...so who's occupying this place? If its being used as a simulation site, that means there has to be soldiers running the place."

 **"Hold on a sec. Pulling up records...aha, here we go. According to this, the base to the left, Blood Gulch Outpost Alpha, is manned by three soldiers, all Privates. Leonard L. Church, Lavernius Tucker, and Michael J. Caboose. Their former commanding officer was Captain Butch Flowers, but he's listed as deceased. Cause of death...aspirin overdose?"**

Drake blinked. "...you can die of aspirin overdose?"

 **"Apparently,"** the AI said, equally as surprised. **"Huh...you learn something new every day. Kind of funny, though, that one of the soldiers has the same name as the Director of Project Freelancer. As for the base to the right, that is Blood Gulch Outpost #1, manned by Sargent...Sarge?"** She hesitated a bit, as if confused. He didn't blame her. Who in the hell named their kid after a military rank? **"As for the subordinates...Private Dexter Grif and Dick Simmons. They're to receive a new recruit named Franklin Delano Donut, another Private, within the week."**

He held back a snicker. Donut? Oh, that must have been embarrassing. "So if agents from this Freelancer thing are testing themselves here, then are any here?" Drake asked. From the sound of it, these agents sounded like they were about as strong as Spartans, so he wasn't exactly keen on running into any. "If so, can you identify them?"

 **"None from what I can tell,"** Cortana answered. **"Weird, though...I'm looking at the command center listed here at Blood Gulch, but apparently, the whole thing is run by something called Virtual Intelligence Computer, AKA V.I.C."**

That threw Drake for a loop. The place was run by a computer program? That was...odd, but then again, this WAS Halo. Even a serious game like that threw the occasional curveball. At any rate, he supposed it was time to stop beating around the bush and get to investigating. Obviously, the Librarian brought him here for whatever reason. "Well," he said as he slowly walked over to the edge. "Time to go greet the locals."

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

Meanwhile, at Red Base, two soldiers looked out at the canyon that was spread out before them in all of its glory. Most would find the sight to be impressive, but for these soldiers in particular, it was a sight that was just common, and bland, to look at. The one to the right was dressed in orange armor, carrying an orange visor to go with it, only of a brighter spectrum. Despite how slim the armor was, there was a noticeable bulge around the stomach, most likely a sign of weight. His posture was lazy, staring out without a care in the world. His companion beside him, however, remained slightly alert, staring at the sight, and while bored, remained vigilant. His armor was dark red, shaded maroon with a orange-colored visor, rifle held in hand.

"...hey," the maroon, Dick Simmons, said slowly as he looked at his companion, Dexter Grif. "You ever wonder why we're here?"

Grif sighed. "It's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it?" he asked, closing his eyes...not that anyone could tell since he was wearing a helmet. "Why ARE we here? I mean, are we a product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really a God? Watching everything? Y'know, with a plan for us and stuff? I dunno, man...but it keeps me up at night."

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Simmons stared at Grif, completely and utterly confused before he spoke up. "...what? I meant, why are we out here, in this canyon?"

He gestured to the entirety of Blood Gulch.

"O-oh, uh...yeah."

"What was all that stuff about God?"

"Uh...hm? Nothing."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Simmons quirked an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Grif nodded.

Simmons rolled his eyes beneath the helmet, and then turned back to the canyon. "Seriously, though, why are we out here?" he questioned. "As far as I can tell, it's just a box canyon in the middle of nowhere, no way in or out."

"Mm-hm," Grif nodded, though he only did this just to play along. In truth, he wasn't really listening. Simmons had a bad habit of ranting on and on about stuff he didn't understand, so whenever he did, he'd tune him out and agree with everything he said. "Yeah."

"The only reason that we set up a Red Base here," he tapped his foot against Outpost #1, and then nudged his head towards to the far side of the canyon, where Outpost Alpha was sited. "Is because they have a Blue Base over there. And the only reason they have a Blue Base over there is because we have a Red Base here."

Okay, that part he sort of understood. In fact, Grif was pretty sure he knew what Simmons was actually talking about...which was a first. "Yeah, that's because we're fighting each other."

"No, no, but I mean, even if we were to pull out today, and they were to come take our base, they would have TWO bases in the middle of a box canyon," Simmons sighed. "Whoop-dee-fucking-doo."

Grif cocked his head. "What's up with that, anyway?" he asked. "I mean, I signed on to fight some aliens. Next thing I know, Master Chief blows up the whole Covenant armada, and I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, fighting a bunch of blue guys."

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"...did he really blow up the Covenant?"

 **"According to official records, yes he did. Like I said, we're way out there in the future,"** Cortana informed him with a slight giddiness in her voice. **"Kind of sad that I'm not mentioned much in the records. Either people really wanted to forget I existed, or I just scared them that much. Is that bad?"**

Drake said nothing. As he came closer to the base, he had Cortana focus on the two soldiers, listening in on their conversation. From the sound of it, the maroon soldier knew nothing about why they were posted, implying that soldiers in simulation sites were not made aware of their mission, or whatever. He had to admit, he kind of felt sorry. From his standpoint, these guys were more or less training dummies to Freelancers...and that was probably on a good day. The rest of the time, they were target practice. Numbers in the system. Whoever the Director was, he really was a bastard.

"No comment," he answered. He noticed some movement on his senors, and looked up to the right. Up above, he found two soldiers standing atop a platform in the mountain, likely a path leading around the base. One was wearing light blue armor, carrying a sniper rifle, and the other was dressed in teal blue armor. "Two more guys up on the mountain path. They're both blue, so I'm guessing they're the Blue army of Blood Gulch."

Cortana worked for a moment, lights dancing across his HUD (he still needed to get used to that. He was lucky he didn't have any health problems, otherwise this would give someone a seizure for sure) before she gave a report. **"Alright, got 'em. The one with the sniper rifle is Private Church, and the other is Private Tucker."**

"Huh...surprised that Church isn't shooting one of 'em," Drake remarked. "I mean, there's only three people at this base, and one Warthog. They have a Scorpion Tank back at their base. That thing alone can kill 'em."

 **"Maybe...but apparently, simulation troopers stationed at these training outposts are the lowest scored and ranked. In other words...pretty much cannon fodder."**

Drake winced. "Oof. Stupid, and defenseless. Kind of feel sorry for 'em. So, going by what you've read on 'em...which side would be less likely to shoot us?"

 **"Normally, I'd say Blue Base, since they're people are more sane if I'm reading their psyche values right...but apparently, Caboose has a high number of friendly fire incidents. Worst part is...everyone hit has died."**

Drake immediately fell silent. "...as much as that sounds fun, I think I'll contact Red Team first," he said after a relatively short debate. "I need all the help I can get if I'm supposed to do something here. Actually, did the Librarian say what I'm supposed to do here?" Another pause, then a frown. "Wait...she didn't send me here to try and make these guys make peace with each other, right?"

 **"Negative,"** Cortana responded immediately. **"However, since she supplied us info about Project Freelancer, which is more or less a Black Ops group and privately funded organization, I'd say investigating Project Freelancer is our best priority. To that end, cooperating with the soldiers here might be our best option."**

The college student shrugged. "Whatever you say, Cortana."

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"Talk about a waste of resources," Grif complained. "I mean, we should be out there finding new and intelligent forms of life. Y'know, fight them."

Simmons nodded in agreement. "Yeah, no shit. That's why they should put us in charge."

"LADIES!" The two jumped, and turned down to the ground. Below them was a soldier colored in dark red armor, a dark orange visor, and a shotgun in his hands, which he held in a rather threatening manner. He held a southern accent, gruff, and authorative. "FRONT AND CENTER ON THE DOUBLE!"

Simmon cursed, muttering a "fuck!" under his breath while Grif nodded. "Yes, sir!"

They quickly left the base, not wanting to get shot in the face. The soldier who called them down was their commanding officer, Sargent Sarge. It was a strange thing to call yourself, but neither wanted to question him. There was a reason why they wanted to avoid having a shotgun pointed in their face. Grif most of all. Simmons was still unsure why, but the man seemed to have it out for him. Any chance he'd get, he would threaten Grif or insult him. Simmons didn't really mind, though. He wanted to stay on his superior's good side. If he did that, he might get the promotion he needed.

"Hurry up, ladies," Sarge barked as they exited the base, and stood in front of him, salute at the ready. "This ain't no ice cream social."

Simmons blinked. "Ice cream social?" he questioned, looking at Grif. The orange soldier gave a shrug.

"Stop the pillow talk, you two," Sarge said gruffly. "Now...anyone want to guess why I gathered you here today?"

Grif raised his hand. "Uh...is it because the war's over and you're sending us home?" he asked, slightly hopeful. He probably knew that wasn't the case, but it was worth asking anyway.

"That's exactly it, Private," the sargent said, quite mockingly and sarcastic one might add. "War's over. We won. Turns out you're the big hero; we're gonna hold a parade in your honor. I get to drive the float. And Simmons here...IS IN CHARGE OF CONFETTI!"

Yep. There it was. Insult, sarcasm, and the threatening tone of a shotgun at the ready. "I'm no stranger to sarcasm, sir."

"God DAMN it, Private!" Sarge growled. "Shut your mouth, or else I'll have Simmons slit your throat while you're asleep!"

Immediately, Simmons responded in a positive and submissive tone, "Oh, I'd do it, too."

"I know you would, Simmons. Good man," Sarge said in approval before addressing the matter. "Couple of things today, ladies. Command has seen fit to increase our ranks here at Blood Gulch Outpost #1!"

The orange-colored soldier groaned. "Crap," he moaned. "We're getting a rookie."

"That's right, dead man. Our new recruit will be here within the week...but today, we received the first part of our shipment from command." Sarge then turned his head over the hill behind them, and yelled, "Lopez! Bring up the vehicle!"

In response to his shout, another soldier, this one clad in dark brownish-gray armor, pulled up over the hill, coming to a stop in front of the Red army soldiers. The vehicle resembled a jeep, albeit heavily armored rather than typical steel, and the tires more designed for crossing heavy terrain. Perhaps the most prominent feature was the bunk in the back, though instead of it being open space, it instead had a large machine gun attached to it. Immediately, the two recruits became impressed and awed by the machine. Command actually sent them a vehicle?

"Shotgun!" Simmons shouted.

"Shotgun!" Griff yelled half a second later, only to realize his friend beat him to the punch. "Fuck!"

Sarge chuckled as he showed off the vehicle while Lopez leaped off. "May I introduce...our new light reconnaissance vehicle. It has 4-inch armor plating, mag buffer suspension, a mounted machine gunner position, and...total seating for three! Gentlemen, this is the M12 LRV!" He paused for what one would assume to be dramatic effect. "...I like to call it the Warthog."

"Why warthog, sir?" Simmons asked out of curiosity.

The man huffed. "Because M12 LRV is too hard to say in conversation, son."

"No, but why Warthog?" Grif asked. Unlike Simmons he was genuinely confused. "I mean, it doesn't really look like a pig."

Immediately, Sarge glared at him. "Say that again?"

"I think it looks more like a Puma."

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

 _'How in the fuck does that thing look like a cat?!'_ Drake wanted to shout, though he kept silent as he slowly approached. So far, he wasn't exactly impressed with the red army. The only one who looked like he took anything actually seriously was Simmons, and maybe Sarge...though he was leaning more on the former. Although going by the one comment regarding Grif, Simmons struck him as the suck-up type. _'I mean seriously! Also, it's called a Warthog because that was what the designers nicknamed it, you dumbass!'_

Inside his head, he heard Cortana giggle. He smiled a little. At least he got her to laugh. That seemed like a good start. Maybe she really was different from how she was from Halo 5. Now that he thought about it...how much time had passed? Cortana said they were in the future, but he still didn't understand what was going on. He also didn't remember anything about an armada of Covenant ships, unless he was referring to the massive flagship fleet he vaguely remembered seeing in one of the games. **  
**

"What in Sam Hill is a Puma?" Sarge questioned, sounding both infuriated and confused.

Simmons cocked his head. "You mean like the shoe company?"

"No, I mean like a Puma!" Grif insisted. "It's a big cat, like a lion!"

Sarge gave him a flat look...or at least Drake thought he was. "You're making that up."

 _'...are you fucking serious?'_ Okay, now this was just...what the hell? How does this man not even know what a puma is?! _'Okay, I've had enough of this.'_

"No, he isn't making it up, Sargent," he spoke up, startling Sarge as he spun around on his heel, nearly falling over while Grif and Simmons jumped, having not noticing him earlier. He wasn't sure why they wouldn't, though. He had to have been standing behind Sarge for at least a few good minutes. "It is a real-life animal. Don't believe me? There's this wonderful thing called 'Google.' Try looking it up, dumbass."

"Wh-what in the holy hell?!" Sarge gawked before he raised his shotgun to his face. "Who the hell are you, dirtbag?!"

Drake gave him a flat look. "...really? Dirtbag? Is that seriously the best you could come up with?" he asked in a deadpan manner. "Actually, you know what? Nevermind. I think I just figured it out why your name is Sarge. Its because you are every ham of a sargent from every old movie rolled into one, cheesy one-liners included."

"Ooh, burn," Grif snickered. "Nice one."

Simmons looked on, confused. "How did we not even notice him until now?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Drake grumbled before pushing the shotgun out of his face. "Also, didn't your mother not to point your gun at strangers."

Sarge growled, but then lowered his weapon, now noticing his armor. "...never seen armor like that before. Wait, are you the new recruit?"

"Doesn't look like it, Sarge," the orange soldier quipped. "Sure as hell doesn't look like it."

"Well, if you ain't the new recruit, who are you? A dirty Blue?"

Drake paused, thinking of a response. What should he say? Obviously, he had to make up a good position, and a military standing, since a civilian here wouldn't exactly be a good thing. That, and it had to be convincing. Something the guy would believe, or at least think existed. He definitely couldn't tell him he was a college student from another world, brought to this world, which he thought was just a video game, by an omnipotent entity from that same game, who just also happened to be apart of some Forerunner crap. _'Suggestions, Cortana?'_

 **"You're wearing your answer,"** she responded.

Drake frowned, but then realized what she meant. He gave a grin. Well, while it may not existed...he had to admit, what this armor was made for, or rather, who this armor was made for, and for those who wear it, the meaning gave him a sense of adventure. Maybe that would work...and even if that position didn't exist, he would make it real. After all, he was given a second chance here, a chance to make everything right. And when he thought about it...this whole thing was just the start of a wonderful adventure.

"Lancer, Drake. Pathfinder."


	3. Chapter 3

...not as good as I hoped the reception would be this time around. Meh, then again, a work in progress. Even if this gets low reviews, follows and favorites, its fun just writing what you love about.

Anyway, with this, it is now officially a Mass Effect x Red vs Blue crossover story! I hope this gets as much love as Metastability!

With that in mind, welcome to the third chapter of this epic space tale in the making~

* * *

 **A Red vs Blue Fanfiction Story  
**

 _Why I'm Here_

* * *

Chapter 2: Accidit Mundi

Pathfinder Drake Lancer.

Drake had to admit, that sounded like an awesome title, if he had to say so himself. The name of "Pathfinder" was a role given to certain members of the Andromeda Initiative from Mass Effect - a soldier, diplomat, and explorer all at the same time. A soldier, in dealing with hostile wildlife, species, and any threats to humanity's future. A diplomat, in forging negotiations and deals with other alien species that were previously unknown. And lastly an explorer, in searching for what would hopefully become the new home of humanity. The position didn't exist here in the Halo universe, but who knows? Maybe he could get into the explorer business. Now that he thought about it, the idea excited him. Going out into space, searching for new life, new planets, new stars, and possibly what could be new human colonies...!

 _'Now I know how the Ryder family feels,_ _'_ he thought with a grin. _'Man, feels just like kindergarten!'_

"Pathfinder?" Simmons questioned, unfamiliar with the term. "Is that a new military rank?"

"If it is, its a stupid one," Grif commented. "I mean, the heck kind of rank is a guy who finds paths?"

"Can it, dirt bag!" Sarge snapped at Grif. The orange soldier seemed used to it, as he simply shrugged. Then the commanding officer turned back to Drake. "So...Pathfinder. What exactly do you do? And why're you here?"

Drake shrugged his shoulders. "Pathfinders are like intergalactic explores. We go out, find new stuff, like planets, ruins, possible colonies, new homes for humanity. That, and we're trained for combat situations. As for why I'm here...to be frank, I wish I knew myself." The three soldiers gave him a look. "To put it bluntly, someone asked me to come here. Didn't get the chance to ask why. They practically dumped me here...without any idea what I'm supposed to do."

"...sounds like a dick," Grif commented. "Well, whatever you're here for, dude, better hope its better than just sitting around on this rock. I mean, not much to do except stare at dirt, rocks, and Blues everywhere. Oh, you...know who the Blues are, right?"

"The guys occupying the other side of the canyon, right? Yeah, saw their base from where I was." That, and two of them were spying on the Reds as they speak, but he wasn't about to tell them that. He didn't want those guys to get killed. At least unless they shot at him first. He asked Cortana to keep an eye on them, and keep his shield up in case they actually did shoot. He just hoped the suit's shields would defend him from that damned gun. He's lost several online matches because of someone with that damned overpowered sniper rifle. "So, how's the situation here?"

"Good, all things considered," Sarge answered with a snarl. "Except for those dirty, diabolical Blues! I've been keeping an eye on them for the past couple of days, and they've received a shipment around the same time we did! Don't know what it is, yet, but it's obviously something meant for them to gain the advantage over us in this war! I'll be damned if I let them win!"

Simmons nodded hotly in agreement, though Grif sighed in exasperation before looking at Drake. "Well, for what its worth, dude...welcome to Blood Gulch."

"Yeah," Drake answered dryly. He just wish he knew why he was here in the first place. Just what was so important about Blood Gulch, or Project Freelancer, that the Librarian brought him here?

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"What are they doing?"

Church repressed a groan as he lowered the sniper rifle, turning to Tucker in annoyance. "What?"

"I said," the self-proclaimed ladies man repeated. "What are they doing now?"

"God DAMN! I am so sick of answering that question!"

Which was saying something, since he answered it several times now. It was always fucking like this. When they went to go spy on the Reds, Tucker would ask, ALWAYS ASK, every five minutes, what were they doing. Quite honestly, he was sick of it. Part of him wanted to shoot the bastard, but refrained from doing so. As much as he wanted to, Tucker was useful...in some ways. Besides, if he killed him, he'd be stuck with Caboose.

He shivered at the very thought. Being alone with the rookie of all people was not on his agenda.

"Hey, you have the fucking sniper rifle!" the teal soldier argued. "I can't see shit. Don't bitch at me, because I'm not going to just sit up here and play with my dick."

Church groaned out of frustration, and set the rifle down. "Okay, look," he stressed. "They're just standing there and talking, okay? That's what they're doing. That's ALL they ever do, just stand there and talk. That's what they were doing last week. That's what they were doing the last time you ask what they were doing five minutes ago. So, five minutes from now, when you ask me what are they doing...they're just going to be STANDING THERE. TALKING."

Tucker went silent, staring down at the two Reds standing guard at their base. For a moment, Church was hoping he'd get the hint, but sadly, he was wrong, as he looked back at him and asked, "What are they talking about?"

...on second thought, he was starting to wish Caboose had gone with him instead of this fucking idiot. At least he knew when to shut up, at least when he made up something stupid, like the enemy had super strong hearing so they had to be really quiet. "I fucking hate you," Church muttered before he picked the sniper rifle up again, and resumed looking at the Reds. To his surprise, he found them moving away, and down at the ground, a soldier in bright red armor, no doubt the Sargent, was waiting for them. From what they knew, the Reds were called Simmons, Grif, and the Sargent was simply 'Sarge.' There was another soldier in dark brown armor, but he didn't know anything about that one. Never talked. At all. Church assumed he was the heavy hitter of the group. They seemed to be having a meeting of some kind, as to Church's surprise, the armored soldier brought up what looked like an armored car with a machine gun mounted on the bed behind it.

"What is that thing?" Tucker asked. Even though they were far up, he was able to see it somewhat. "Some kind of jeep?"

"I don't know," Church answered honestly, shaking his head. "Looks like it. Guess we should report it...to..."

He trailed off when he saw a new soldier walk up to the Reds. Unlike the others, however, this soldier was dressed in armor he had never seen before. It was Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor, like they were all wearing. Rather, this seemed to be slim fitting with a black and red bodysuit underneath black armor that covered the torso, legs, and arms. The helmet was black, and unique, in that it showed the person behind the helmet's face, though because their back was turned to Church, he couldn't tell who it was. The helmet covered up to the mouth, the sides of the face, and the back of the head, while the visor exposed the upper half of the face. Branded on the front plate was "N7." The Reds seemed surprised by the newcomer, but after a few moments of talking, the new soldier was welcomed into their base, the Sargent leading them inside.

Church was confused. Who the hell was that? Their armor was unlike anything he's seen. He was unsure who they belonged to, though if the red portions of the suit were any indication, he was possibly a member of the Red army. Maybe a new recruit. But if that were the case, why were they so shocked by his appearance? The Sargent even had his shotgun in his face for a while. Whoever the guy was, he was an unknown. That irritated Church a bit. He HATED unknowns. He always did. He didn't know why, but unknown variables he wasn't aware of tended to set him off a bit. Like when they got Caboose. He wished he knew what Command was thinking, but then thought it was perhaps to replace Captain Flowers. Regardless, the new guy was a fresh face to this dead canyon. But who was he? Why was he here? What was his plan here?

Then a thought struck him.

"...oh fuck me sideways."

"What's up?" Tucker asked. "Something wrong?

There was something wrong alright. Something VERY wrong. Fucking hell, why didn't he realize it sooner?! No soldier in either army had armor like that, or dressed predominantly in black! All except for a few soldiers in particular. Soldiers who belonged to neither side of the warring armies. Soldiers who acted for the sake of the mission, and for money. Soldiers who, despite their colors, acted on their own ambitions, apart of their own whims of fate. Soldiers Church had experienced with. His heart clenched when he remembered one such soldier, clad head to toe in jet black armor, surrounded by many dead bodies, lying in the snow with red staining the otherwise pure white ground, a skull in her hand as she beat his closest friend with it.

Church lowered the sniper rifle, and turned to Tucker. "There's a new guy at the Red Base," he answered. "He's wearing armor I've never seen before," He took a moment to breath. He felt so winded. His heart was thumping.

Then again, he supposed such a reaction was natural, especially given who they were now dealing with.

"I think it's a Freelancer."

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"This is our base," Sarge said as he led Drake through a tour of the facility. "Feel free to use it as much as you like! Well...unless you decide to side with the Blues. Then get the fuck out."

Drake chuckled. Despite the rough meeting, Sarge seemed like a somewhat okay guy. He had to admit, though, the base was much bigger on the inside. There were several doors, leading into rooms that ranged from the toilet to the armory, to a small shed filled with pieces of odds and ends of machinery, and even bedrooms. He suppressed a gag when he recalled the state of Grif's room. He felt Cortana shiver, and recommended that they find a way to delete memory of the sight. It was absolutely disgusting...how could a human being even live in there?! Didn't he know the meaning of the word 'cleanliness?'

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he responded before he tried to gleam some information. "So, how have things progressed here at Blood Gulch? I assume you guys have been here for a long time."

Sarge chortled. "That's an understatement," he scoffed. "We've probably been here for, I don't know, maybe a good couple of years? Not a lick of progress to show for it, though! Only one Blue got killed, and he died of natural causes! He was lucky! If it were up to me, I'd have my shotgun at his face, and decorate the base red!" Then the man sighed. "Would have made for a fine paint job...as for things here, though, its been mostly figuring crap out. You know, working out plans to defeat those dirty Blues, trying to kill Grif, finish Lopez, that sort of thing."

"...why do you want to kill Grif?" Drake asked, now suddenly disturbed. "I mean, sure, he seems like a lazy ass, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"He's not living to his full potential!" the Sargent argued. "And to me, that's just a waste of space! If he ain't gonna use it, might as well get something out of it! Like an extra count on my kill tally!"

 _'...suddenly, I feel like I should have taken my chances with Blue Team,'_ Drake thought, now regretting his decision. Sarge really was like every old school movie Sargent rolled into one, and frankly, that was rather scary. Especially since some sargents could be rather...intense. _'Cortana, how good are my odds of survival?'_

 **"I'd say, oh maybe...thirty percent?"** the AI of the Master Chief responded with a silly grin. Drake groaned. Of course she would say that...maybe she enjoyed watching with some pleasure of him being put into dangerous situations. As the Sarge bid him goodbye, going out to make sure the recruits weren't doing anything stupid, the two made their way to their temporary quarters, where the officer was kind enough to lend them. He had even given them the code to contact Command, which was definitely going to prove useful. **"Anyway, I've done a quick scan around the canyon. It looks like what Simmons said is true; there's hardly any other sites of equipment here, except for what's delivered by dropship and what's already here. I was detecting a faint signal underground, though, so it might actually be worth a look. It wasn't far from where you woke up."**

The self-made Pathfinder gave a nod before he pulled off his helmet, sitting down on the bed. He set the helmet on the desk before he pulled up his Omni-Tool. "...wow, it really is like from the game," he muttered in awe. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this...all the games I've played were actually real. From another universe. Man...part of me is disturbed by the idea of now being in Halo, and yet another part of me is excited all at the same time. Hell, another part of me wishes I was in the ME universe. I could have gotten to meet Commander Shepard!"

Cortana laughed. **"You are such a nerd."**

"Hey, I prefer the term intellectual," he corrected her before chuckling. It was only now he realized that he was being cordial with her. His earlier fears of Cortana were lessened...but definitely there. He couldn't deny the darker part of his mind that told him not to trust her, but he tried to ignore it the best he could. "You know...I'm also finding it hard to believe that you are stuck inside my head now. In the same way SAM is. I gotta admit, its...weird."

 **"Now you know how I feel,"** she replied, her body forming next to him with her arms crossed. **"I am not used to being connected to a human on a near genetic level, much less neural."**

"How does that work anyway?" Drake asked, curious. "I mean, aren't AIs usually inside a chip or console that can be transferred inside of a suit?"

 **"Basically, it's like this: some AI's, from what I've read of the data the Librarian left for us to read to figure out our objective here, are implanted right into an individual's neural system. Its like a form of symbiosis, in that the individual benefits from the AI increasing their probability of survival, and the AI, depending on its design, can gather the data it needs. Theoretically, it's possible to have more than one implanted, but the problem is the neural load. The human brain can process a lot of information, but nowhere near how much an AI can."** There was a hint of pride in the artificial intelligence's voice as she smiled in a cocky sort of way before she continued on. **"Having one AI inside your head is pushing the limits, but it is manageable. But when you have more than one...its only a matter of time before your brain takes an overload. Having three AIs is guaranteed to turn your brain into mush, and render you incapable of thought. The overabundance of neural information that is being fed is too great for the brain to process, so it works itself to death trying to process all of it."**

"I...think I get it," Drake said. "So, basically, having one AI in your head is manageable, but anything beyond that is guaranteed to make your brain go nuts. So, what about you? I mean, no offense, Cortana, but you aren't exactly a normal AI. You were inside the Chief's armor for nearly all of his life, from what I could tell anyway, and then there was Halo 5 where you..." He trailed off, noticing the now frowning face she had. Sensing that there would be something unpleasant in his future if he continued, he immediately changed the subject. "S-so...how are you in my head? You said it was deeper than neural implants."

He thought he made the correct decision, as the frown faded from her face, as did her arms, now returning to her sides. **"Like I said, most AI these days are implanted into the neural system,"** Cortana stated. **"However, the Librarian took it a step further when she put me into you. She didn't just link us with a chip to the back of the neck, where the neural system is...she put a part of me directly into your brain."** Drake's eyes widened. Cortana was inside his brain?! How was that even possible?! Sure, the brain was more or less just as vital, if not more so, than the human heart, but that was insane! Suddenly, he became even more fearful. The darker aspect of his mind's warnings grew even worse. Thoughts that Cortana was apparently aware of. Either that, or his face was giving it away. Regardless, she groaned. **"Oh, relax, you big baby, it isn't anything bad."**

"How?!" Drake argued. "You just told me you are inside my brain!"

 **"I did, but that doesn't mean I can do anything bad to you,"** she retorted. **"The worst I can do is give you hallucinations."**

 _'Not helping in the least, lady.'  
_

Cortana sighed. **"...look, you don't trust me. I get it. Believe me, I do. But if we're going to manage here, we need to trust each other. It is a lot to ask, but given the situation...what do you have to lose?"** Drake wanted to respond, saying his life, but he realized that even that was gone from him. He was virtually thrown away from his old life, sent here to stop something bad from happening, but had no idea what it could have was right...they did have to trust each other. She seemed to be willing, but even still...what she told him shook him up. Regardless, he gave a slow nod. The AI gave a look of relief. **"Good,"** she said, nodding with approval. **"Thanks...I guess? Huh...weird. I usually don't know how to thank others. Well, except for the people I'm used to knowing instead of an adrenaline junkie."**

"I could say the same, since I'm talking with an AI of all things," said adrenaline junkie returned with a smirk. This earned yet another laugh from Cortana. Another victory for him, it seemed. "So, back to this connection thing."

 **"Right...like I said earlier, the Librarian implanted me directly into your brain. While the base of the neck is where the neurological system is active is the most effective means of transferring data, the brain is far superior. In a way, its like the control center of every function in the human body. It tells how the heart should operate, how the lungs should breath in air, how to close your eyes, how to strengthen muscles, and so on. A giant regulation tool. Normally, doing this would leave the host brain dead, but since the Librarian isn't exactly your average surgeon, she did what no one else could. That's why our connection is deeper than most AIs. It's also why I can load those profiles and change the structure of your body."**

That explained quite a bit. Now he knew why he was able to use Biotics. On a side note, he should probably learn how to use Charge better, as the first time he used it, he nearly smacked himself into a stone wall. However, that also raised a question for Drake, namely of what other benefits there were. The biggest question he had, however, was mostly about Cortana. "And what about you?"

 **"Huh?"** The sudden question took her by surprise, as she blinked. **"What do you mean?"**

"I mean, how are you affected by all of this? Being stuck inside the brain of someone you don't know doesn't exactly sound like the best thing to ever happen to you."

To his surprise, Cortana's face became one of forlorn. Eyes of sadness reflected back at him, something that made his hurt pang with hurt. A lopsided smile came unto her face, and gave a tired shrug. **"...there's worse things for me to endure, Drake. A lot worse."**

With that, she disappeared, flashing out of existence. He heard no voice in his head, so he assumed that she was done explaining or decided to rest or whatever AI's did. He let out a sigh, and began issuing the commands to release himself from the armor. Since he had a bed, he wanted to make full use of it. Plus, the revelations he's had in this day alone, from waking up to Halo to having Cortana inside his head to learning about the multiverse to the Librarian to several other things. He wondered how he hadn't passed out yet. A few clicks and hisses later, the armor was off of his body, leaving him only in a black bodysuit with dark red strips that reached only to the knees and biceps, and the neckline reach up only below the Adam's Apple. Heaving a sigh, Drake laid down, and closed his eyes.

 _'I hope nothing bad happens...'_


	4. Chapter 4

Got a bit more reception than before, but sadly, one reviewer has abandoned ship, namely due to the lack of Mass Effect presence this story will have. As I've said earlier, this story, while a crossover, only introduces certain elements from Mass Effect, but no characters...that said, I'm just starting out for this story. I only have up to the events of Recollection planned out. Project Freelancer and Chorus are still up for debate. Who knows? I just might add in characters.

I'd also like to thank any new additions to this story. I hope I can make this story just as popular as my other RvB crossover, "Metastability!" For any who don't know, it's my most popular crossover for RvB, and is with RWBY. If you can't tell by the title, it focuses on Maine/Meta...but with a twist~

Speaking of that, it should be updated at the same time this chapter is posted.

Anyway, I forgot to mention this, but I actually have a poll going on regarding Drake. Give it a look if you are interested.

In the meantime...welcome to the fourth chapter, ladies and gents!

* * *

 **Red vs Blue and Mass Effect Crossover:  
**

 _Why I'm Here_

* * *

Chapter 3: Deus Habet Consilium

"Dude, you need to calm down. If you keep stressing, you're gonna give yourself a heart attack."

It had been a little over half an hour since Church and Tucker had returned. The rookie, Caboose, had reported than nothing had happened since they left, and had done a routine inspection as he was asked to, though the former wasn't in much of a mood. When they got back, he had been pacing around, over and over to the point where Tucker didn't know whether to feel annoyed, or worried. For the time he's known him, Church was pretty much the only real sane and normal person at Blood Gulch. Tucker did like to think of himself as sane, but he was hooked in the idea of finding a babe to grab. Hey, he was a guy who lived by his libido and wits and awesomeness, what else was there? ...okay, so there were a few problems with himself, but hey, at least he had some ideas as to how to get a girl, unlike the other guys here. As for Caboose...

...yeah, he had a few screws loose. Enough said.

Back to the point, it was unnerving for Tucker to see Church so high-strung. He understood why he was acting like this, though, if what he said was true. Apparently, the Reds had finally decided to take the initiative, and call for back-up in the form of a Freelancer. Tucker knew who they were, having been told about them during his time in training. The Freelancers were mercenaries who acted on impulse, working for the highest bitter. Armed with extensive military training, equipment, and weaponry, they were by far the most dangerous soldiers one could ever face on the battlefield. Now the Reds had one. The news was concerning, but Tucker thought Church's constant pacing was just an overreaction.

"Seriously, Church," he insisted. "Take a chill pill."

Church finally stopped his pacing, thankfully. Unfortunately, he was far from over with his panic as he whirled around instantly to face the teal-colored soldier. "Don't tell me to calm down!" he snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, Tucker, the Reds decided to call in one of the biggest pains in the ass known to man, and who knows when they're going to strike?!" He let out a groan of frustration, and turned again, slamming his foot into the tank, earning a cry of 'hey! watch it!' from Caboose, who was currently in the midst of polishing it, courtesy of Tucker in order to keep him busy. The longer he was working, the better. "Fucking dammit! Out of all the things they could have sent in, it was a Freelancer! Son of a bitch!"

"Why are you whining about it?" Tucker asked. Even for Church, this was definitely weird. He's usually better composed...or at the very least less angry when regarding threats. "I mean, hey, I know what the Freelancers can do, too. The guys at boot camp wouldn't shut up about them, but they can't seriously be that tough. We have a tank for crying out loud!"

"Hey, you haven't seen what they can do," the leader(?) of Blue Team retorted. "I have. And trust me, we're gonna need more than a damn tank."

Caboose looked up from his cleaning, tilting his head before he jumped off the tank, and walked over to the two. "Sorry, but...what's happening?"

"Church is freaking out because the Reds called in for a Freelancer," Tucker replied.

"Freelancers?"

"They're guns-for-hire," Church told the rookie. "Neither Red or Blue. Basically, assholes who work for whoever pays 'em more."

"Actually, about that," Tucker said, turning to his teammate. "How'd you know so much about them? I mean, I only know about 'em from the guys in training, but how'd you know about them?"

The soldier went silent for a bit. He bit his lip underneath the helmet before he gave a sigh, folding his arms. "Okay, the truth is...I used to have a girl back home. I planned on proposing to her, but then I got shipped out here."

"Okaaay, and?"

"Before I came to Blood Gulch, I was stationed at Sidewinder."

Caboose tilted his head. "Isn't that the really cold, ice planet?"

"Yep. Me and my friend, Jimmy, were talking. Guy said he was thinking about proposing to his girl, since he was almost done with his station, but then...shit happened. All of a sudden, everyone's dead. Including Jimmy. Actually, poor bastard got fucked up the worst. The guy who did it? Ripped out his skull and beat him to death with it."

Tucker frowned, crossing his arms. "Wait, how'd he do that? That's not physically possible."

"Yeah, Jimmy said the same thing..." Church muttered, shaking his head in remorse. To this day, he still didn't understand why that happened, or why she did that. She never said the reason why. Never told him anything, actually. He hated that. He HATED how she never told him anything. "The worst part? The guy who did it was a Freelancer...my girlfriend."

Suddenly, the two went silent. They just stared at them through the visors on their helmets. He could tell that they were processing this information, trying to make sense of it. He didn't blame 'em. He didn't find out until later. Ever since then, he's had a distinct hate for Freelancers. He knew that, if you got involved with any one of them, bad things were bound to happen. In fact, Church was sure that the whole Reason Jimmy got killed was most likely because of him, just because he got involved with Tex. Dammit, just remembering was enough to piss him off.

And now, there was one here. Working for the Reds. It seemed like they were getting used to the layout, so they still had some time...but that begged the question?

How long before they attack?

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"Achoo!" Drake sneezed loudly, nearly tripping over himself as he entered the caverns where he awoke. He sniffled a bit, trying to get the unpleasant aftershock out of his nose before he cringed in disgust. "Ugh, gross...I got snot on my visor."

Had she manifested her body, Cortana would have rolled her eyes. **"Oh, don't be such a big baby,"** she told him. **"What was that about, anyway? I don't detect any abnormalities in your immune system, so you aren't getting sick."**

"Probably someone talking about me," he shrugged as he momentarily took off his helmet to wipe off the goo he made from his sneeze, and then slipped it back on. "So, what's this signal you've been picking up?"

 **"An old console. Been down here for a while. However, I'm also picking up some radio frequencies from it, so it's active."**

The self-made Pathfinder stopped, now standing across a small gap. He gave a look down, seeing a black, murky abyss below. He gave a low gulp before he slowly took several steps back, bracing himself. "Huh, you don't say?" he said before he broke into a spring, moving as fast as he could before jumping. In mid-air, the jet systems kicked in, and propelled him forward, albeit a bit too strongly. He suddenly found himself being flung right into the next platform, smacking into the ground and tumbling forward, stopping with his back facing the air, and legs high before the fell, leaving him to hit the ground harshly. "Ow..." he groaned, noting how his back flared in pain as he stood, rubbing his back. "That hurt...still gotta get used to those things." He then resumed his trek for the object Cortana specificed, all the while remaining alert. "So, this console you're talking about...think it might have something useful?"

 **"One way to find out,"** Cortana responded. **"We should be able to see what's inside once we scan it. That means we have to find it, first."**

Drake nodded. As he made his way through the caverns, he began to note how, unlike before, he began to see how big it was. Stalagmites and Stalactites met, forming into columns while water carefully dripped down, forming into small ponds and pools, creating a few drips that echoed across the structure. The eerie silence and darkness did not help him whatsoever, and made him both fearful and paranoid. "Um...are there any...hostiles in here that I should know about?"

She was smirking, he could feel it. **"What?"** she teased, giggling. **"Is the so-called intergalactic explorer scared?"**

"Not funny, Cortana."

 **"I thought it was~"**

He gave a low growl, but otherwise ignored her. He kept a careful eye on his surroundings, in case an enemy showed itself. _'I should have just ignored my gut about this whole thing...seriously, since when does playing hero or detective EVER work out for you, other than something really bad happening?'_ He came across a few more scattered platforms with a black pit below. This time, he was more able to jump across without screwing up on the throttle. He also used his expert rock climbing skills to scale a small ledge, as the gap in front of him was too wide. _'And out of all the universes I could be sent to, it was Halo! ...okay, given where I am now, maybe that's a good thing. Heck, maybe there's a low chance of me getting shot at by Covenant shmucks.'_ He suddenly stopped, realized his thoughts, and then gave a sigh. _'...fuck, I just invoked Murphy's Law with that thought, didn't I?'_

Once he was close enough, he jumped over to the platform, landing in a crouch. He winced briefly due to the awkward position. "Need to get into shape," he muttered. It had been a long time since he had done any physical activity besides dancing at Ohlone. He dusted off the small bits of dirt before he stood up, giving another look around. The caves were becoming less spacious, and the darkness dimmed quite a bit. He also noticed a few structures embedded into the wall as well, bits of gray and steel mixed in. "The hell?" He tapped the side of his helmet, pulling up a small HUD screen. He detected no movement anywhere, but he did find a few energy signatures registering. "Hey, Cortana? What is this?"

 **"Unknown,"** she answered. **"I don't have any data on this place. Although, that energy reading I saw earlier is around here somewhere."**

Drake deactivated the HUD, and then pulled up the Scanner on his Omni-Tool. The sight was still incredible to see, so he doubted he would ever get tired of it. The orange screen passed over whatever he was in front of, creating small outlines as he explored. He entered one of the structures, though the rock and plant life suggested it wouldn't be wise to stay in here for long. He found several old computers inside, as well as what he assumed was the armory cache, with weapons stored inside, and the lock keeping it safe. "Maybe an old command center," he thought aloud. "Question is, who did it belong to?" He checked one of the computers, but received no indication the power was connected. "Figures." After seeing there was nothing to gain from here, Drake left and explored further into the cave. He noticed that the more he progressed, the more technology was present. Wires and cables were running along the walls, connected to various points, curling around stalagmites and such. "Man, how far does this place go?"

Cortana suddenly spoke up, **"I'm detecting that reading from earlier. Its getting close."**

Drake nodded, keeping an eye out. After leaping across another small chasm, he found what he assumed what Cortana was reading. Machinery was built into the rock, hidden inside a structure that could easily pass as a room. Metal floors were buried into the ground, though bits of dust, gravel, and debris were littered everywhere, as if making a door. Several more consoles were lined up, though unlike the ones from before, these were much more recent, as they didn't have any sort of greenery spreading over them. Across from him was a particularly large console, several keys and dials installed into it with an equally large screen, smaller ones lining up beside it. The strangest part is, all the screens were lit up, showing different scenes. Some showed the bases, even the interior, and even inside the cave systems.

Needless to say, Drake was more confused than he already was. "The hell is this?" he questioned, pulling up his Scanner. "Is someone spying on us?" Since there was power flowing, Drake was able to scan it. "Okay...Cortana, what do we got here?"

This time, the AI of Master Chief appeared in her digital body, standing on his shoulder. **"A dinosaur, that's what,"** she remarked with some curiosity present in her voice. **"Although with a few modifications. What you're looking at is the Command the Reds and Blues have been answering to."** Drake looked at her, clearly not understanding what she meant. How could a computer be what the Reds and Blues were listening to? Granted, what he's seen so far of the Red army isn't very impressive, but he sincerely doubted that they were idiotic enough to listen to a machine. Regardless, he asked Cortana to elaborate. **"Remember that AI I mentioned earlier?"** He nodded, and then remembered something else important. He understood what she meant soon after, and turned his attention back to the computer. **"Yep...this is VIC."** Cortana's form flickered for a moment before she reappeared on top of the console, looking at the screen with her arms folded. **"Yeesh, the AI's here have really regressed. Back during my time with Chief, they were advanced enough to command warships. This one only has a few functions."**

Drake wanted to ask about that, what working for the Master Chief was like, but refrained. While he knew the story of Halo was a video game, here it was life, meaning what passed for her was real. She experienced it, from beginning to end. Her own story. It would be rude to pry into a person's past, especially with what happened in Halo 5, so he instead focused on asking about the computer. "So...why is VIC monitoring the Reds and Blues? Is he actually the reason why they're fighting?"

 **"Nope,"** Cortana shook her head, turning to him. **"The Reds and Blues have been fighting ever since Project Freelancer thought it was necessary to develop testing grounds for their soldiers. That's why it was necessary to establish possible scenarios, since most of the missions they would be sent into would involve them going into warzones."** The college student then nodded, getting the general idea. Cortana then turned to the computer, and smiled slightly. **"Now...lets see what VIC here knows."** The red circuits on her body, including her eyes, flashed before her body delved into the computer. The screens, at that moment, suddenly became fizzled and glitched, as if static was spreading over them.

Then the screaming and yelling came, making Drake nearly jump out of his skin.

 ** _"YEEEEOOOOWCH! WHO IN THE-OW! WAIT, STOP, HOLD IT! DON'T-OH FUCK! OWWW! WAITWAITWAIT, DON'T DO THAT! OW! STOP! THAT HURTS DUDE!"_**

The screaming and yelling continued on for what Drake assumed was at least an hour. With each passing second, he was quickly becoming more disturbed. Sweat dropped from his face as he slowly backed away, now fearing for both his sanity and welfare. _'Okay...maybe Cortana is not as good as I thought she was,'_ he thought in small terror. _'She's still the genocidal maniac she was in 5.'_ Eventually, all sounds ceased, and Cortana reemerged, a happy smile on her face. **"Got all the info we need,"** she informed with joy before she noticed how far Drake was standing away, and his vital signs in disarray. **"You...okay?"**

"...ask me that when we get out of here," he answered as best as he could. "Just...what on earth did you do to that poor AI?"

 _ **"...don't..."**_ the voice of what Drake assumed was the AI whined in a pitiful voice, the screens still glitching. **_"...women...so violent...owwie..."_**

Cortana shrugged her shoulders. **"Figured he would be more cooperative if I gave him an incentive,"** she answered, making Drake's fear of her worsen. **"Anyway, turns out that Butch Flowers was an agent of Project Freelancer. He personally selected all of the simulation troopers posted at Blood Gulch, though Private Church's name was on the list long before any of the others were chosen. There was some information that was corrupted, but from what I gather, the primary objective was to observe, and protect him."**

"Wait, protect?" the self-made Pathfinder blinked. "Why would he-" He was interrupted in mid-conversation when he heard his comm blaring. "Sorry, one second," he told Cortana before he patched the call through. "Hello-?"

 _"DUDE, GET YOUR ASS HERE QUICK!"_ the panicked voice of Dexter Grif came, nearly blowing out his ear. _"WE'RE ABOUT TO GET BLOWN UP?!"_

"W-what? Slow down, what happened? And dear god, what is that sound?!"

 _"LONG STORY SHORT,"_ Simmons took over. _"NEW GUY CAME, STOLE FLAG! WE GRABBED HIM, AND NOW THE BLUES ARE SHOOTING AT US WITH THEIR TANK!"_

"...alright, I'm on my way," he sighed as he ended the communications. Cortana reappeared next to him, looking curious. "Looks like I invoked Murphy's Law after all. Here's hoping I don't get killed on my first day here at Blood Gulch." With that, he left, going as fast as he could.

He prayed for whatever was out there to give him some mercy. The last thing he needed was to get blown to pieces. He wondered if this how most soldiers felt, when about to go into their first battle. The feeling of both anxiety and anticipation. Although, unlike some soldiers, his first opponent was going to be a tank, and his weapon was a rifle, handgun, and his partner was an AI from a video game that goes mental during the fifth installment. Regardless, there was a mission to be done. With that in mind, he asked Cortana to load the appropriate Profile.

She gave a nod. **"Loading [Biotic Profile]** **."** Instantly, he felt his body feel a pleasant, yet chilling burn sensation flow through him. A bluish purple haze danced around his body, and his movements felt faster. His mind felt clearer, and this...sensation, this...feeling swelled in him. What it was, he didn't know. It felt...good, though. He just might get addicted to this.

Now that he thought about it...this would be his first real-life field test of what he could do.

 _'Hopefully I don't screw it up.'_

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

The day was supposed to be simple for Tucker.

Wake up, take a shower, jack off, go on duty, return to base, jack off again, eat, take a shower, and go to sleep while dreaming of bodacious babes to sleep with.

Nothing was ever simple here at Blue Base, sadly. They received a tank, but the glory was short-lived when he and Church investigated Red base. Apparently, a Freelancer was now at the Reds, meaning that their job got harder. Then he learned from Church than his ex-girlfriend was a Freelancer too! Worse, her way of dumping him was killing the Blue Team at Sidewinder, and even his best friend, with only him as the only survivor. He only heard about what they were like, but if he were to go up against someone that dangerous, Tucker knew he would regret ever joining the army. Just when he thought he'd have a safe career here, but reality had a fun way with screwing him.

Things got even worse. They placed the rookie on guard duty, making up some excuse to stand at attention when their commanding officer arrived. It was a lie, of course, as their commander had died a long time ago...not that Caboose knew. Tucker kind of felt bad, but technically, it was Caboose's fault for being so gullible. Part of him wondered how the guy even got into the military with a mind like his. Unfortunately, placing Caboose on guard duty was a mistake, as a Red soldier, which they mistakingly believed to be the Sargent, had infiltrated the base and stole the flag. Later they learned he was just a Private...making Tucker feel all the more irritated. They were about to kill the Private and take back their flag, but then that damned jeep came and drove them away!

Caboose surprised him when he came in, barreling in with his tank. He scared off the Reds and destroyed their car...but then he went and killed Church!

What. A. Team. Killing. Fucktard.

Then Tucker learned that Caboose was still learning how to control the tank, and the vehicle had recognized Church was a target, going into auto-lock. Tucker felt bad for calling him that, but he was still a bit pissed. Now they were attacking Red base, in hopes of getting their flag back and taking the bastards out as well.

Although...

"Why do you keep firing at the jeep?"

"Because it's locked on!"

"Well, unlock it!"

"Last time I unlocked it, I killed Church!"

"Oh, right...keep shooting the jeep, then."

Caboose did as he was asked, and continued to shoot. Even it was at the Warthog, the shells were bombarding the Red base nicely. _'Who knows?'_ he thought to himself. _'Maybe he'll kill them while trying to blow up the Warthog! Gotta say, that damn thing is sturdy as fuck, though. How tough is that thing?'_ However, after a while, he found motion on his tracker. He turned, and to his shock, the Freelancer that Church described was running down the cliffside, sliding and hopping down as fast as he could...and towards them! "Oh, shit," he grumbled. "Caboose! That Freelancer guy is coming! Can't you aim at him?!"

"I-I'll try!" Caboose squeaked. He managed to it, as the turret turned and aimed at the Freelancer. It fired off a shell, which shot straight toward the bastard. However, to their shock, a bluish purple haze danced around the guy when he leaped forward, evading and letting the shell exploded, blowing off a small portion of the cliffside. He landed on the ground, and then charged at the tank, the haze still dancing around him. Caboose continued to fire, but he dodged out of the way each time.

 _'Dammit, what IS that?!'_ Tucker thought in a panic. _'Is this some kind of experimental equipment?!'_ Scratch that, what was he still doing hanging around here?! At this rate, the guy was gonna rip Caboose out from the tank, kill him, and then him! He wasn't ready for that yet! Fuck this! "Caboose! Come on, get out of there!" he shouted. He didn't want to wait around, however, and quickly took of running. "Like right now!"

"I can't figure out how to get that thing open!" he shouted back. The Freelancer was getting closer, closing the distance, and the haze was beginning to grow thicker, mostly around his arm. "Okay...okay...open the door...um, Sheila, will you please open the door?"

[Driver Canopy, Open] came the immediate response. Instantly, the hood opened up, letting Caboose get out. As he hopped off the tank, and ran towards safety, where Tucker was at, he heard Sheila say, [Thank you for using the M808V Main Battle Ta-]

Her words ceased. The Freelancer had made sure of that. He had taken high into the air, and reared his arm back. The haze grew even thicker and heavier, as gravity brought him straight down upon the tank. His fist smashed straight into the tank, and instantly, the metal became warped and bent, shaking the ground upon impact. The tank shuddered as it gave way, the metal creaking and becoming buried in the weight of the attack. The force behind the drop was enough to kick up dust and dirt. Caboose slid to a stop, hearing the sound, and whirled around. Beneath the helmet, his eyes widened, and screamed.

"SHEEILAAA! NOOOO!"

"W-what? Sheila, no!" Tucker cried before blinking in confusion, turning to Caboose. "Wait, who's Sheila?"

The blue-armored rookie sniffled. "S-Sheila's the lady in the tank," he sobbed. "She was...my friend..."

"...OH DUDE! I KNEW YOU COULD PICK UP CHICKS IN THE TANK!"

Unknown to Tucker or Caboose, or the Reds for that matter, the Freelancer cried, _"What the fuck is WRONG with you?! How the hell can you think about picking up girls in a fucking tank of all things?! Cortana, don't you start!"_


	5. Chapter 5

Huh...after several updates of other stories, publications of new ones, video games and life ordeals later, I finally get around to writing the next chapter of this space opera featuring the greatest idiots in the galaxy.

Strange, isn't it? Especially since this is technically my second update. Sorry for the shortness, though. Next one will be longer. Promise. Just please review.

...no, seriously. Please. I am LITERALLY publishing this at 2:15 AM as I am typing this. Reviews is going to make my morning feel a lot better.

* * *

 **Red vs Blue x Mass Effect Crossover:  
**

 _Why I'm Here_

* * *

Chapter 4: Freelancer

"...holy shit," Grif said, watching Drake destroy the tank with a single drop, covered in a haze. "HO. LY. SHIT."

Simmons could only nod in agreement. Donut, the new rookie dressed in traditional red armor, could only stare in absolute shock. None could see, but they could expect to see his jaw on the ground. When he told them that he was an explorer, they thought he had some form of training, especially given he had a few weapons on hand, even if it were only a rifle and handgun. However, none would have expected to see this of all things. What was that? It looked like some kind of mist, but the way it glowed...it wasn't natural. Being a science lover, Simmons was curious, but for the time being, he was just happy that the tank was now out of commission.

With the destruction of the tank, the Blues had retreated, though he heard the soldier in regulation blue sobbing. About what, though, was up for debate. Drake soon returned, jumping up with impressive strength and reaching to the roof of the base, shaking off what the others assumed was adrenaline or anxiety. "Gotta have to get used to that," he remarked, trying to shake out the trembling in his form. "Didn't think using Nova would work...especially on a Scorpion."

"That," Donut said, giddiness in his voice. "Was. AWESOME!"

Drake tilted his head. "Uh...thanks?" he said, unsure, but accepted the gratitude either way. "I take it you're the new guy?"

"Yes, sir!" Donut saluted. "Franklin Delano Donut, at your service!"

"Drake Lancer. Pathfinder," he introduced himself before looking at what was in the man's hands. "So...you stole the flag?"

Suddenly, Grif began to snicker, and Simmons scratched the back of his neck. Drake cocked his head, confused. Donut chuckled awkwardly, lowering his hand as it was still in salute, and holding the flag in both hands. "Well, um...actually, I sort of asked for it." Drake blinked, not sure if he heard correctly. He stared at him, which Donut took the sign of trying to explain how he retrieved the flag. "Okay, you see, it was like this. The guys asked me to get elbow grease and headlight fluid from the store..."

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

Tucker was beginning to understand why Church was so vehemently against the Freelancer. After what just happened...god, where does he even begin? True, he was still alive, but they lost the tank. Worse, Church was dead, so that was...well, he wasn't sure if it was a plus or minus, given his last words were literally how much he hated him. Asshole. Well, whatever. Point was, they lost a tank, the Reds have their flag...man, talk about a shitty day.

"Okay, you're armor is clean now!" Caboose cheerfully informed him as he stepped back. Tucker gave himself a once over, finding his armor back to its natural aqua color. He gave Caboose a once over. He seemed pretty broken up that the tank, Sheila he thinks he called it, got wrecked, but seemed oddly fine. Eh, oh well. Better to have him on his feet than moping. Tucker wasn't sure why, but a mopey Caboose was...awkward to think about.

On another note, "Is all the black stuff off?" Hey, he was quite proud of this aqua-colored armor! Well, okay, it wasn't quite his, since he took it off of his captain's corpse, but he was still proud of it! Caboose nodded proudly. He then tapped the side of his helmet, opening up a channel to the Blue Army's Command Center. "Blue Command. Come in. This is Private Tucker, requesting assistance. Over."

After a few seconds of static interference, an eccentric voice came in. "Hola hola, this is Vic~" a man spoke. Tucker could already tell the man was grinning. "Blue Command, at your service. What's up, my man?"

Tucker quirked an eyebrow. Okay...not the worst he's heard. Still, at least this guy had some personality, compared to the bland assistance dude he tried calling earlier to request a Sniper Rifle back when Captain Flowers was alive. Shrugging, he went on with his request. "Command, we need assistance. Like, really fucking bad."

"Okay, okay. What's the problem, Private Tucker?" Vic asked.

"Well...I'm not sure what the technical term is, but we're pretty fucked down here. We need men. Of the extra badass variety. The Reds hired a Freelancer, and they blew up our tank!"

"Ooh, ouch!" Vic sucked in a breath. "That's gotta suck, man. Okay, okay, let's see what I got in here!" In the background, the sound of papers shuffling and keys being tapped could be heard on Tucker's side as he waited for Vic to respond. After a while, the man came back. "Okay, here's what I can do for ya, compadre. I can send the nearest Blue Army reinforcements, which should be there in about, ooh maybe, I dunno, 16 days?"

The perverted soldier gawked. "Sixteen days?!" he shouted in dismay. "Dude, that asshole's gonna kill us by then!"

"Or..." Vic continued. "I can send you guys the nearest Freelancer. Sound cool, mi amigo?"

Caboose cocked his head. "I say...we go for option 2."

"Yeah, we'll go with the Freelancer." Tucker nodded in agreement. "Fight fire with fire, isn't that right?"

"Roger that, dude. We will contact Freelancer Tex as soon as possible. Thank you for calling Blue Command!" Suddenly, there was a cough. "Ow..."

"Ooh, you okay there, dude?" Tucker asked. "You sound like shit."

"Rough time with a girl."

"Bow-chicka-wow-wow." Tucker grinned, though he soon frowned. Even someone who had a freaking desk job was getting late? First chance he gets, he is getting shore leave and hitting the closest bar so he can get drunk and woe a lady or two. Scratch that, make it three. Or four. Fuck it, he'll bang five babes if that's what it takes! This canyon was like a freaking sausage fest! However, as Vic ended the call, Tucker realized something. "Wait...Tex? Isn't that...?"

"Tuuuuuuckeeeeer~" Yelping, the aqua-colored soldier whirled around to find a ghostly silhouette standing behind him and Caboose. It resembled a soldier wearing their armor, but it was pale white. Even stranger, it was holding a sniper rifle. "Tuuuuuuuckeeeeer~!"

Backpedaling, he readied his rifle. "W-who the fuck are you?!"

"I am the ghost of Church...!" the transparent soldier whispered. "I have come back...with a waaaaarning...!"

Caboose, unlike Tucker, laughed. "You're not Church!" he said, pointing a finger at it. "He's Blue. You're white!"

"Rookie!" Suddenly, the tension in the air was gone. Sure enough, the angry voice belonging to one Leonard L. Church, Private of the Blue Army, ripped from the throat of the ghostly soldier as he whirled around and glared at Caboose. "Shut up! You're ruining the whole atmosphere I'm trying to set up!"

Easing up, Tucker lowered his rifle. "...okay, what the fuck is this?" he asked, completely taken for a loop. "You're a ghost?"

"Oh, I dunno, dipshit." Church responded sarcastically, rolling his shoulders. "You tell me. Do I look like I'm a ghost?"

"Well, he's transparent." Caboose said. "And see-through." He then put a hand through Church's chest, which caused him to shudder. "Ooh! And he doesn't have a body!"

The former cobalt blue sniper growled. "Yeah, no thanks to you, ya team killing fucktard! Now stop that!" Caboose pulled his arm away, stepping back. Church then sighed. "Okay, look you two. I don't have a lot of time here. Actually trying to make myself visible in the world of the living or some shit is hard as shit right now, so I'll try and keep it simple. Don't let Tex help."

"Why?" Tucker asked. After a moment of thinking, he remembered where he heard the name before. "Ooooh, wait! Isn't Tex your ex-girlfriend who rekt your friends in Sidewinder?"

"That would be her." Church nodded. "And seriously, don't let her help! I guarantee you, she's either going to screw everything up for you or is going to come after you next!" He paused a bit, then stared at Tucker. "Well, mostly you than Caboose."

"Fuck you too, dude."

"But seriously, DON'T. LET. HER. HELP. Don't even let her get involved in any way! No help making coffee in the morning, no help cleaning the guns or the toilets, nothing. Hell, don't let her inside the base. Just get the flag back without her, alright?!" His body then began to slowly fade, something which he noticed and cursed. "I'm fading away here. I'm serious about this Tucker!"

The soldier sighed. "Yes, mom." he said. As he listened to Church bitch as he faded from existence, he gave a groan and turned towards Caboose. "Man, he sounded like one of those bitchy housewives you hear on TV!"

"No." Caboose shook his head. "He sounded more like a goat."

"A goat? ...oooh. I think I get it." The perverted man let out a chuckle, understanding what Caboose meant, even if the idiot didn't get it. That said, though, he was quick to realizing something that only made him sigh again. If it weren't for his helmet, he'd be rubbing his head in frustration. "Shit, if Church's bitch of an ex is our reinforcements, how're we supposed to deal with the Red's Freelancer?!"

Unknown to both blue soldiers, a black-armored figure could be found standing not far behind them.

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

"...you gotta be kiddin'."

Simmons shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, in our defense, we wanted to mess with him a little." he said. "We didn't think he would just run up to Blue Base and steal the flag."

"Yeah." Grif grumbled. "And he thought it was the store. Not to mention someone at the base just gave it to him. What kind of idiots are they?"

 _'Should I tell him?'_ Drake asked his new AI partner.

 **"Nah."** she waved a hand. **"Let 'em figure it out for themselves. I kinda want to see their reaction."**

The orange-armored soldier gave a sigh. "Well, I better go report to Sarge." he said, though it was clear he didn't. The man had returned not long ago, and needless to say, he was none too happy to find that the Warthog had been blown up by the Scorpion Tank. While he was glad the Blues' strongest weapon was now out of commission, that didn't change the fact that their vehicle was in disrepair. "Man, this fucking sucks."

"Hey, it was your plan, Grif." Simmons pointed out to him. In response, he flipped the man the bird before heading down. After he vanished from sight, the maroon soldier turned to Drake. "Still, that was pretty damn hardcore. What was that mist stuff around you?"

"Enhancements." he replied quickly. "Experimental stuff. Still trying to get used to it, though."

Using Nova on the Scorpion had not come without its drawbacks. For starters, his body was hurting all over from his Biotic enhancements going at maximum power straight from the get go. Even now, he could still feel his hands shaking. _'With Biotics, I can pretty much go head to head with the Covenant and any regular soldier. But it isn't exactly going to be cakewalk if my body can't handle it right out of the gate.'_ He was glad that the Librarian had armed him with such good gifts, but they meant little if he couldn't handle them properly. Ah, if only the Mass Effect games actually expresses how someone can properly control Biotic abilities when you only just got them.

Then again, as they say, discoveries are made through trial and error.

"So, Donut..." Drake turned, facing the new recruit with a smile beneath his helmet. "How's it feel knowing you successfully retrieved the Blue Army Flag, all misconceptions aside."

"It's awesome, sir!" Donut exclaimed excitedly. "I hope Command gives me a new set of armor, though. The Blues mistook me for Sarge!"

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about that much anymore." Simmons chuckled, looking down below. Drake saw that Grif was nervously backing away while the brown-armored soldier, Lopez, slowly raised his rifle while Sarge pumped his shotgun. "Sarge might give you Grif's armor."

The college student felt perhaps a bit disturbed by the fact that the leader of Red Team was actively trying to kill one of his own men, but while he pitied Grif's position, he was not looking forward to being on the receiving end of that. _'Better him than me.'_ he thought before looking at the cliff. _'Okay...if the tank killed one of their own men, like Simmons said... Hey, Cortana? Do you still have a read on their ID tags?'_

 **"I thought you'd never ask."** Cortana smirked before his HUD lit up, showing the markers designating each soldier in Blood Gulch. Currently, all were in the green, save for the marker located up on the cliff where the dead blue soldier rested. His marker was colored red, representing his now KIA status. **"Everyone's alive and counted for...except Leonard L. Church."**

 _'If VIC and their Captain were ordered to keep an eye on him and protect him, I want to know why.'_ Drake said. _'First chance we get, I want to check his body. Maybe he has something that could give us a clue.'_ A pause. Then Drake's face contorted in disgust. _'I sound like a graverobber. Sorry, mom, but it sounds like I don't have any respect for the dead after all.'_

 **"Wait, hold on a sec..."** Drake tilted his head a bit. Seconds later, a new tag came in, this one colored purple. **"There's a new soldier in Blood Gulch. If I'm reading this right...they're in possession of an AI, too."**

At this, Drake tensed. He turned his head to where Blue Base was located, and where the tag marking the new soldier was beginning to move. He gave a low sigh, and readied himself for a fight. The Blues must have called for reinforcements after the loss of their Tank, though this was surprising. He would have thought it would take longer.

 _'This should be fun.'_

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

 _"Red Base. Kill everybody. Get the flag back."_

A few simple words. Words that Texas was determined to follow through on. Of course, that wasn't quite right. Killing a soldier here, where the Director was keeping a careful eye, would be quite dangerous. A few punches to the head, concussion grenades, and they'd be alive...but bruised all over.

As she left Blue Base behind her, Tex had made a small detour. According to that perverted asshole who made the wisecrack about her earlier, Church's body was left up here to rot. It proved to be correct, as she soon found a cobalt-blue armored soldier lying face-down in the dirt, blood staining the ground and the light-colored plating of his suit. Holstering her rifle, she bent down and gave the corpse a look over. Her HUD was running a diagnostic on him, looking for something. A moment later, a 'PING' echoed. She then probed the helmet for the unlocking mechanism and eventually found it. With a push of the button, a low hiss came from the suit.

Gently, she pulled the helmet off, revealing the face of a middle-aged soldier with messy brown hair and facial hair along the lower half of his face. Beneath her helmet, her face crunched up. _'One thing I was hoping you'd get rid of, Church.'_ she thought before she felt up his head. Eventually, she found something smooth hidden beneath the locks of hair. Pushing it away, she found signs of the implant, burrowed deep into his head. She then let out a small sigh of relief. _'Good. The implant's still intact, meaning he's still okay.'_ She then stood up, looking at Red Base. _'Omega. Give me a scan.'_

 **"Done."** a cold, menacing voice answered. **"There's an AI in the Red Base facility. Different than those of us at Project Freelancer. Only one. Alpha is back at Blue Base facility. Most likely still in shock from being forcibly removed from his host body.** "

Texas nodded, then resumed her way to Red Base. While the soldiers here were allowed to live, given how important they were in this damn scenario of the Director's, the Freelancer was another story. If what Omega said was true, then the Freelancer in the base was different than the ones she already knew of. Ever since the break-in several years back, he had been quite high-strung. She held a bit of pride, knowing that she threw a wrench in her plans, but there was nothing good about that failure. If the Director had acquired new soldiers, then he must have obviously been stepping up his game.

Likely from Omega's influence, Texas felt a vicious smile come to her face. Her fingers were twitching, anxiously awaiting their meeting so she could crush him. Sh was going to take some good pleasure, knowing that she'd be able to hit that bastard's pride once again.

With that in mind, Texas' camo unit activated.

XxXxX XxXxX XxXxX

 **"They're on the move."** Cortana told him. **"Get ready, Drake."  
**

Drake nodded as he checked his weapons. He wasn't sure how weapons from Mass Effect would hold up to those of Halo, but he knew that whatever was going to come at him was sure to give him a run for his money. If there was anything he learned about characters in Halo, it was that, if they had an AI at their side, they were bound to be trouble. At best, his Biotics would be able to give him an edge, along with his martial arts training...but he was quick to remember that he wasn't going to fight someone who was just the average joe.

He was fighting a soldier. They were going to be aiming to kill him not incapacitate him. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself. _'You can do this, Drake.'_ he thought, trying to bolster his confidence for what it was worth. _'Just...try not to die. Should be easy. Breath in. Breath out. I mean, it isn't that bad. You're just going to fight someone who has an AI and may or may not be deadly or quite possibly hyper lethal.'_ He gave a sigh, realizing that he had most likely jinxed himself.

Well, he was screwed anyway, so what the hell? Why not invoke Murphy's Law?

"What could go wrong?"

Just then, Murphy's Law kicked in as he heard an explosion from up top, followed by Simmons and Griff screaming. It lasted for only a few seconds before it faded, followed by the sound of harsh footfalls. Gripping his pistol, Drake looked around. "Cor?" he called. "They here?"

 **"Hold on. Scanning..."**

The footfalls grew closer, eventually coming to a stop behind him.

 **"Behind you!"**

Instantly, he whirled around in time to block a fist aimed straight for his face. One hand caught the fist while the other, holding the handgun, was aimed directly at the helmet worn by his opponent. The camouflage they wore was dropped, revealing black armor with a typical gold visor. He fired off one round, but it missed completely as the black-armored soldier dodged it with ease, cocking their head and rearing back a fist. Quickly, the self-made Pathfinder raised his arm close to his face and blocked the blow, though the force behind it was enough to knock him back and lose his grip.

Without relenting, the black soldier charged in and delivered a kick to his chest, blowing the wind out of his sails. _'What the hell?! Is he wearing bricks for boots?!'_ he thought in dismay before he tried to fire on them again, only for a hand to grab his wrist and plow a blow into his stomach. Stunned, he lost his grip on his gun and soon found himself thrown across the room. His back smashed against the wall harshly before flopping to the ground.

"Okay..." he wheezed, standing back up. "Ow."

As he recovered, the black soldier pounded a fist into their hand, cracking their neck. Their words, thick and heavy through a voice modifier, caused a shiver to run down his spine as it promised him nothing but pain.

 _"You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in."_


End file.
